Total hip and total knee replacement: postoperative nursing management

Abstract

Patients having total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery require skilled nursing care in order to recover from surgery and anaesthesia. The first part of this article will outline the key nursing management issues during the postoperative stage of recovery. The second part will consider the longer term recovery, including the risk of THR dislocation and failure of the prosthesis due to loosening or infection. The role of the nurse in primary and secondary care in monitoring and identifying complications will be highlighted. This is the second of two articles on nursing care for patients undergoing THR or TKR surgery. The first article (Lucas, 2008) looked at preoperative nursing care.